Leak Stumper

[neverknows]

Situation:

Main floor with Daylight basement. Main floor has two bathrooms, basement has one. Regardless of which shower I use (main or basement) after I take a shower I hear a leak – drip, drip, drip, coming between the basement ceiling and main flooring. The only items that are in this area is a line that connects to the master water line and goes to an outside faucet – and one other line that T’s into it, that ‘may’ go to the downstairs basement bathroom, but not positive – and from what I recall the T line wasn’t in the area I hear the leak from.

The ONLY time I hear this is AFTER taking a shower – which to a layperson such as me does NOT make sense, because water would always be in any pipe – and I only hear it after a shower. Can a leak sometimes only occur after some type of a pressure change – and otherwise not leak??? I’m truly stumped by this…..

Here were my thoughts:
1. Master bath shower floor (tile) was having issues, or leak at showerhead behind tile – but again, occurs in any of the showers – so it doesn’t make sense either.
2. Doesn’t occur if you just use sinks, toilets, etc. – only after a shower.

This is driving me to drink more…..please let me know what it might me, things to try, etc.!

Thank you all for reading and hopefully providing an answer!

David

 

[havasu]

It could be the sound of your pipes expanding and contracting from within the walls since you hear it after the hot water pipes are warm.

 

[neverknows]

Thanks Havasu - but it is definitely a drip, drip, drip onto the top of the sheetrock - different from the click, click, click you get from a hot water pipe, or heating/cooling duct......plus I should mention in that space I have a squirrel (and babies in there) - and the other morning I could hear them around that area and the rhythm would change - as if they were 'under the drip' (could hear them moving) it would be say every 4 secs and then jump longer.....then back to every 4 secs.....and yes, I have someone coming out to take care of that little problem as the babies are starting to venture out.....sigh.......that is another story for another day!

Thanks again!

 

[neverknows]

Also I should mention that in that area we replaced with copper pipe with PEX - so other than the T coming off of it, it is PEX from the hookup by the shower to the outside faucet.....and so I don't think the PEX in that area would creak on the hot water pipe.....